Xia Baolong, who heads the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, visits the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub on Feb 9, 2025. [Photo/locpg.gov.cn]

Hong Kong officials and community leaders said a recent inspection led by central government official Xia Baolong of key cooperation zones involving Hong Kong has provided the city with clearer insights into advancing major projects and contributing to the nation's high-quality development.

From Friday to Monday, Xia, who heads the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, visited significant cooperation platforms outlined in China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

His tour included the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

The Hetao Cooperation Zone is situated on the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, while the other two cooperation zones are located in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, both in Guangdong province.

Xia also visited Yantian Port in Shenzhen to examine the collaboration among ports within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

During his inspection, Xia led a discussion in Qianhai and received briefings from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government officials on the city's economic and financial plans.

Speaking to the media before the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, acting Hong Kong Chief Executive Eric Chan Kwok-ki said Xia provided clear guidance on how the city could facilitate the nation's development in economic and financial sectors. Chan said the visit was instrumental in helping the city better leverage major projects such as the Hetao Cooperation Zone and the Northern Metropolis.

He added that discussions with Xia offered valuable insight into the central government's perspectives, improving cooperation between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Chan pledged that Hong Kong would continue to capitalize on its comparative advantages and the cooperation platforms to drive high-level openness in the Greater Bay Area.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong briefed Xia on the latest developments in the Hong Kong park of the Hetao Cooperation Zone. He emphasized that Hetao is a crucial platform for fostering new quality productive forces and is vital for the high-quality development of Hong Kong, the GBA and the country as a whole.

Sun urged the Hong Kong government to embrace policy innovation and advance reforms to attract more resources to the cooperation zone, aiming to establish it as a "bridgehead" for China's technological innovation.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant with the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said the projects inspected by Xia are closely tied to Hong Kong and Macao's economic growth and industrial transformation, as well as the nation's broader reform and opening-up policy.

Lau said Xia's visit would encourage the governments of Hong Kong and Macao to more effectively implement development plans related to the projects.

Tam Yiu-chung, a former Hong Kong delegate to the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said Xia's visit allows the central government to better understand the challenges Hong Kong faces in its development and identify ways to provide support.

Rock Chen Chung-nin, a Hong Kong lawmaker from the financial sector, said Xia's visit to Yantian Port underscores the central government's expectation that Hong Kong will strengthen its role as an international shipping hub.

Chen noted that Hong Kong should not solely focus on increasing shipping throughput, but also expand value-added services such as maritime registration, insurance, arbitration and financing. By leveraging its legal and financial strengths, the city can maximize its potential in these areas, he said.

He suggested that Hong Kong enhance the quality of its professional services and collaborate with high-value industries in the Greater Bay Area to better integrate with the global market.